The NHL has two Game 5s on tap for us on Thursday night’s slate, featuring the Carolina Hurricanes attempting to close out the New Jersey Devils during their return home, while the Dallas Stars will look to transfer their momentum from a dominant road win in Game 4 to take a 3-2 lead back home against the Seattle Kraken. Elimination games often turn into physical, low-scoring outings, but we’re guaranteed an entertaining matchup in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Kraken jumped out to a 2-1 series lead but couldn’t get it to 3-1 during their second home game, which opens the door for the Stars’ potent offense in Game 5.

Tuesday’s recommended picks were a mixed bag of results. Jack Hughes (C – Devils) was the only production New Jersey mustered in Game 4, scoring the Devils’ lone goal, while Brett Pesce (D – Hurricanes) scored his second goal of the playoffs, returning huge value at $3,900 on FanDuel. Seth Jarvis (RW – Hurricanes), Sebastian Aho (C – Hurricanes), and Jordan Eberle (RW – Kraken) all finished without a point, which was disappointing, but Vince Dunn (D – Kraken) extended his assists streak during Seattle’s 6-3 loss in Game 4. Unfortunately, neither recommended goaltender performed well, as Philipp Grubauer (G – Kraken) and Vitek Vanecek (G – Devils) both were pulled after surrendering five goals as the respective starters in the crease.

I’ve identified eight of my favorite prospects to target when constructing DFS lineups ahead of Thursday’s first puck drop between the Devils and Hurricanes at 7 p.m. ET. Let’s cash our contests, collect our winnings, and enjoy watching the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thurdsay night!

Check out today’s One-Timer contest from FanDuel

Recommended Plays: DraftKings

DraftKings maximum salary is set at $50,000

Sebastian Aho (C – Hurricanes): $7,000
We finally saw Sebastian Aho’s point streak snapped in Game 4 against the Devils despite Carolina pouring in six unanswered goals. That changes on Thursday night when the Hurricanes return home to attempt closing out the series in Game 5. Aho is a potent playmaker in the offensive zone and won’t be off of the stat sheet for long. He’s valued at $7,000, $200 more expensive than he was for Game 4, but it’s not enough to deter me from recommending Aho in lineups of all shapes and sizes. New Jersey’s tumultuous goaltending offers plenty of scoring chances for Aho to produce double digit DK points for the third time in six games.

Evgenii Dadonov (RW – Stars): $4,200
Evgenii Dadonov has quietly been one of the strongest weapons for Dallas during their second round series against Seattle. The third-line winger has four points notched across his past three games, including two assists in Game 4. Dadonov offers a solid floor due to his ability to set up scoring possessions, countering inconsistent shot volume on the net. At a meager $4,200 salary on DraftKings, Dadonov is a screaming value to acquire.

Vince Dunn (D – Kraken): $5,000
All streaks end at some point, but Vince Dunn has recorded at least one assist during every game of the series against Dallas, so I’m not fading his consistency. He occasionally takes a couple of shots on goal and records a couple of blocked shots to elevate his floor, but we’re strictly investing in Dunn for his ability to set up scoring possessions for the Kraken. At $5,000, it’s not too much to pay up for a top-tier defenseman who can operate smoothly in the offensive zone, so plug Dunn into lineups with confidence.

Jake Oettinger (G – Stars): $8,200
It’s been a rough playoff for goaltenders. Jake Oettinger is the most expensive netminder on Thursday’s slate but we’ve saved a few bucks investing in other high-value players flying under the radar, so acquiring Oettinger as an anchor in lineups shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. Oettinger is 2-1 in his last three starts against Seattle, surrendering five goals during the loss, and five total goals across both wins. A return home should help Oettinger continue his winning play in the crease, so let’s pay up to get a nice point boost once the Stars take a 3-2 lead to wrap up Thursday’s slate.

Recommended Plays: FanDuel

FanDuel maximum salary is set at $55,000

Yanni Gourde (C – Kraken): $4,500
Yanni Gourde has a championship pedigree from his time on the Tampa Bay Lightning, which is showing up during his play this postseason. Gourde had his four-game point streak snapped in Game 4 but he still took three shots on goal, which is the most he’s attempted since the series against Dallas began. During the streak, Gourde scored two goals, plus he tends to collect a couple of blocked shots per game, raising his floor. At $4,500 on FanDuel, we’re landing a solid value with Gourde, so don’t hesitate to insert him into lineups.

Jordan Martinook (LW – Hurricanes): $3,700
Another dark horse prospect that is being undervalued is Jordan Martinook. He skates on Carolina’s second line attack and has amassed nine points in the series against New Jersey. This includes a three-game goal streak entering a return home to attempt closing out the series in Game 5, so with such a high-stakes game being played and a cheap salary to acquire Martinook on FanDuel, we have an obligation to insert him into lineups.

Miro Heiskanen (D – Stars): $6,300
Miro Heiskanen took a puck to the face in Game 3 and returned in Game 4, making his presence felt with an assist, three shots on goal, and a blocked shot to rack up 14.9 FD points. Heiskanen has an absurdly high 70 assists across the 2022-23 season, so he’s a threat to show up in the stat sheet with the talent surrounding him in Dallas. Pay up. You won’t regret having Heiskanen in your lineups.

Akira Schmid (G – Devils): $7,500
We’ve seen this narrative in Round 1. The Devils fall down in a series and look to Akira Schmid to bring the relief effort in the crease. He was clutch against the New York Rangers on the road and in Game 7, posting a shutout, so we know Schmid has the ability to come through for us. He hasn’t been as good against Carolina, failing to play a full 60 minutes in between the pipes, but Schmid is calm and poised at times. At $7,500, why not invest in his upside in another elimination game, where we’ve seen him rise up to the challenge.